Narrative:

This was an IFR flight plan on a B757-200. On the arrival landing there was an indication of the failure of both cabin automatic controllers. This aircraft had a history of this problem. Maintenance worked on the problem and cleared the write-up. When we departed we had 177 passenger and 5 flight attendants on board. The first officer was flying the aircraft and I (as captain) acted as the PNF. Windshear of +10-15 KTS was reported by landing aircraft; so as per company policy we used full thrust for takeoff power. After liftoff (from runway 12); I raised the gear handle and during gear retraction noticed that we had a fault indicated on both cabin altitude controllers. I instructed the first officer to level off; we were climbing out of 2000 ft MSL; so he leveled off at 2500 ft MSL. I informed departure control that we were leveling off and needed to return to the airport. Permission was immediately granted by ATC to level off and start a left turn to a left downwind for runway 12. Before I noticed the electronic warning that the cabin controllers had failed; I could feel an unusual pressure differential. I saw the cabin automatic controller failure; selected manual control; and started adjusting cabin pressure. ATC asked if we were declaring an emergency and if we needed emergency equipment upon landing. I had the cabin pressure under control using manual control and at no time were the passenger or crew in any danger; so I told ATC that we were not declaring an emergency and merely needed to return to the airport due to an automatic pressurization problem. At no time were the passenger or crew in any danger. The aircraft was flying fine and the manual pressurization control was working fine. Our takeoff weight was 208402 pounds; and with the short flight our landing weight was approximately 205000 pounds (maximum landing weight is 198000 pounds). The landing was very smooth. After clearing the runway; ground control had us wait for taxiing aircraft; so the first officer called the company dispatch to notify them of the turn back; the pressurization problem; and the overweight landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT CREW HAD BOTH CABIN PRESSURE CONTROLLERS FAIL SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THEY RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT FOR MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN IFR FLT PLAN ON A B757-200. ON THE ARR LNDG THERE WAS AN INDICATION OF THE FAILURE OF BOTH CABIN AUTO CONTROLLERS. THIS ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF THIS PROB. MAINT WORKED ON THE PROB AND CLRED THE WRITE-UP. WHEN WE DEPARTED WE HAD 177 PAX AND 5 FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND I (AS CAPT) ACTED AS THE PNF. WINDSHEAR OF +10-15 KTS WAS RPTED BY LNDG ACFT; SO AS PER COMPANY POLICY WE USED FULL THRUST FOR TKOF PWR. AFTER LIFTOFF (FROM RWY 12); I RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE AND DURING GEAR RETRACTION NOTICED THAT WE HAD A FAULT INDICATED ON BOTH CABIN ALT CONTROLLERS. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO LEVEL OFF; WE WERE CLBING OUT OF 2000 FT MSL; SO HE LEVELED OFF AT 2500 FT MSL. I INFORMED DEP CTL THAT WE WERE LEVELING OFF AND NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. PERMISSION WAS IMMEDIATELY GRANTED BY ATC TO LEVEL OFF AND START A L TURN TO A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12. BEFORE I NOTICED THE ELECTRONIC WARNING THAT THE CABIN CONTROLLERS HAD FAILED; I COULD FEEL AN UNUSUAL PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL. I SAW THE CABIN AUTO CONTROLLER FAILURE; SELECTED MANUAL CTL; AND STARTED ADJUSTING CABIN PRESSURE. ATC ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND IF WE NEEDED EMER EQUIP UPON LNDG. I HAD THE CABIN PRESSURE UNDER CTL USING MANUAL CTL AND AT NO TIME WERE THE PAX OR CREW IN ANY DANGER; SO I TOLD ATC THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER AND MERELY NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT DUE TO AN AUTO PRESSURIZATION PROB. AT NO TIME WERE THE PAX OR CREW IN ANY DANGER. THE ACFT WAS FLYING FINE AND THE MANUAL PRESSURIZATION CTL WAS WORKING FINE. OUR TKOF WT WAS 208402 LBS; AND WITH THE SHORT FLT OUR LNDG WT WAS APPROX 205000 LBS (MAX LNDG WT IS 198000 LBS). THE LNDG WAS VERY SMOOTH. AFTER CLRING THE RWY; GND CTL HAD US WAIT FOR TAXIING ACFT; SO THE FO CALLED THE COMPANY DISPATCH TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE TURN BACK; THE PRESSURIZATION PROB; AND THE OVERWT LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.